Word forming games

ABSTRACT

Game play apparatus includes a letter array, means operable by players to randomly select a subset of letters from the letter array that includes predetermined numbers of (a) consonants, (b) vowels, and (c) at least one predetermined letter, means for associating each subset with the respective player, means for forming letters from the player&#39;s subset of letters into words, and means for recording words formed. An example game apparatus includes score cards, two-sided game pieces, and set of rules of game play. In an illustrative game method of game play, three consonants, two vowels, and one “E” are selected by each player, and each player records and scores the words formed by the other.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to games, and in particular to game components and methods for playing word forming games in which one or more players attempt to form words from a subset of letters that includes predetermined minimum amounts of letters of certain letter types, and that is drawn from a plurality of letters.

BACKGROUND

Known interactive games are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing interactive games lack the ability to teach the alphabet, spelling, and/or vocabulary words to players. In addition, conventional interactive games fail to combine alphabet, spelling, vocabulary words, and mathematics lessons in a single game. Moreover, conventional interactive games do not stress or instill the importance of ethical behavior during game play.

SUMMARY

Illustrative embodiments of game playing apparatus for two or more players consistent with the present disclosure include a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array, and means operable each player for randomly selecting a subset of letters from the letter array that includes (a) at least a predetermined number of consonants, (b) at least a predetermined number of vowels, and (c) minimum number of at least one predetermined letter. The apparatus also includes means for associating each subset of selected letters with the respective player, means for each player to form letters from the player's associated subset of selected letters into words, and means for recording swords formed by each player.

In some embodiments, the apparatus takes the form of various game components, such as a letter array of individual game pieces each bearing letter indicia thereon, a score card, and a set of rules for game play. In such embodiments, the game pieces may be two-sided cards, tiles, tokens, or the like, with at least one side bearing a letter of the alphabet. Further, the game pieces may include a set in which a letter on each game piece a consonant, a set in which a letter on each game piece is a vowel, and a set in which a letter on each game piece is a predetermined letter.

In a particular embodiment packaged and sold commercially as a game kit, each game piece is a two-sided card, one side of which is printed with a letter. In addition, each card of each set is color-coded—specifically, each consonant card is marked with a stripe of a first color, and each vowel card is marked with a stripe of a second color. A third set of cards, each of which includes the letter “E,” is specially marked so that the “E” cards of the third set are visually distinguishable from “E” cards of the vowel set. The game kit embodiment also includes a number of score cards pre-printed with a number of areas into which players ma record words formed, and keep score.

As such, in these embodiments, the game pieces may provide (and/or function as) the means operable by each player for randomly selecting, the means for associating, and the means for forming. A score card in such embodiments may provide the means for recording words formed by a player.

In some embodiments, the game playing apparatus may take the form of a computer system incorporated into a personal electronic device such as a smart phone or PDA, which may provide a representation of selected game components on a display of the device via a user interface. Software instructions executed by a processing unit of the computer system may incorporate a set of rules by which the game is played, and may further provide and/or function as the means operable by each player for randomly selecting, the means for associating, the means for forming, and the means for recording.

Example methods of playing a word forming game consistent with the present disclosure, which may be partially or wholly codified in a set of rules of game play, may begin with each player randomly selecting a subset of letters from a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array (and removing each letter, once selected, from the plurality), each player selecting at least one predetermined letter, and associating the letters selected by each player with the respective player. Such methods may continue with each player forming words from the player's selected letters, recording the words formed, and assigning a score to each word formed.

In some methods, randomly selecting a subset of letters may includes randomly selecting at least a predetermined number of consonants and randomly selecting at least a predetermined number of vowels, and selecting at least one predetermined letter may consist of selecting a predetermined number of one predetermined letter. For example, according to a set of rules of game play with the aforementioned commercial embodiment, each player selects six cards: three consonant cards (from the consonant set), two vowel cards from the vowel set), and one “E” card (from the third set).

In some methods, recording the words formed is done by a player other than the player forming the words. In some methods, the score assigned to each word is a predetermined score based on the number of letters used to form the word, which may increase with the number of letters used to form the word, and/or include a bonus score for certain words, such as each word that uses all of a player's selected letters. Some methods may include determining, by mutual agreement of the players, one or more types of words that are eligible for being assigned a score, if formed by a player, and/or whether one or more words formed by a player are eligible for being assigned a score.

Optionally, embodiments of the word-forming games according to the present disclosure may be based on and/or incorporate a chosen theme, such as to enhance entertainment value of the game and/or provide a context within which players may more easily understand the rules of game play. As explained in greater detail below, features and aspects of the game components and/or rules may allow accommodation of and/or customization to players of certain skill and/or educational levels, such as younger players that are developing word forming, vocabulary, mathematical, and/or cooperative social skills, and/or may be adapted to help develop particular skills.

The concepts, features, methods, and components briefly described above are clarified with reference to the accompany no drawings and detailed description below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view showing various components of an illustrative word forming game in accordance with the present disclosure, including a score card and several game pieces in the form of letter tokens.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a first side of one of the letter tokens of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the score card of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a computer system capable of executing software instructions to provide a user interface operable to represent components of a word forming game similar to those shown in FIG. 1, in various aspects of a method of game play.

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic view illustrating an example user interface that may be presented 1 the computer system of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments of game components and rules for playing a word forming game are described herein with reference to FIGS. 1-5. Referring first to FIG. 1, an example embodiment of a game playing apparatus 10 is shown to include a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array 12 in the form of a plurality of individual game pieces 14 bearing letter indicia thereon, and a score card 16. The example embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 corresponds to game components of a packaged game kit that is produced and sold commercially, and is sometimes referred to herein as “the commercial embodiment,” although it will become evident that many variations of this embodiment, and of others described herein, are possible within the scope of this disclosure.

An example game piece 14 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 as a flat and generally rectangular two-sided card, but any manner of token, file, or other game piece may be used. Game piece 14 includes a first side 22 and a second side 24 (not separately shown), with the first side 22 bearing letter indicia 26 in the form of a single letter of the alphabet 28. In the illustrated example game piece, shown in FIG. 2, the letter is a capital letter A.

Referring again to FIG. 1, other game pieces 14 include other letters 28 shown as capital letters. Although game pieces are shown to each include a capital letter 28, other embodiments may instead include a lower-case letter, or show a single letter in upper-case and lower-case (e.g., “A” “a”), and so forth, and of any suitable alphabet, presented in any suitable manner and/or font. Further, some embodiments may include game pieces bearing multiple letters, for example as letter combinations (e.g. “SH” or “QU” or “ING,” etc.) or arrangements of two or more single letters, arrangements of letter combinations and single letters, and so forth, that may include upper- and/or lower-case letters, and so forth.

The plurality of game pieces 14 are shown to be arrange(into three sets, the first two of which are a vowel set 32 and a consonant set 34, so called due to the letter indicia 26 on each of the game pieces of each set representing a vowel or a consonant, respectively. The third set 36, referred to herein as a “free” set, includes game pieces upon which letter indicia 26 represents the same predetermined letter. In the commercial embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the predetermined letter of the game pieces of the third set is the letter “E”.

As explained below, according to example methods of game play, players select a predetermined number of game pieces from each set to form a subset of letters from which to attempt to form words. Thus, providing one or more free sets 36, such as the“free E” set shown in FIG. 1, may ensure that each player will have at least one of a predetermined letter in his or her selected subset. Viewed another way, a predetermined letter may be considered a control in an otherwise variable letter distribution. As such, it will be evident that embodiments of the game may be designed in order to improve different types of word-forming skills, and/or focus the difficulty of the game, in part by the nature of the control variable(s).

For example, the letter “E” is, by many estimates, the most frequently used letter in the English language; thus, providing a “free E” to each player may assist in basic vocabulary-building. Similarly, providing one or more other predetermined letters, and/or predetermined later combinations, by means of one or more “free” sets, may assist in building vocabulary of words that include such letters or combinations. In turn, this may affect difficulty or complexity of game play, for example if the “free” letters or letter combinations more frequently appear in comparatively common or uncommon and/or easy or difficult words, and so forth. Optionally, in this manner, the game may be focused toward a vocabulary of words consistent with a theme or backstory incorporated into the game.

Other embodiments consistent with this disclosure may include a free set 36 of game pieces that each include a different predetermined letter indicia 26, may include multiple free sets 36, and/or may include still other sets in addition to the consonant, vowel, and free set(s). One example of such an other set is a combination set, each game piece of which may include a letter combination (e.g. “SH” or “QU” or “ING,” etc.).

Free set 36 thus includes multiple iterations of the predetermined letter “E.” Similarly the vowel and/or consonant sets may also repeat the same letter. The identities of the letters in the letter array and/or those that appear on the game pieces of the various sets, the incidence a given letter appears in one or more sets, and the total number of game pieces provided, may be varied among embodiments such as to provide a game based on a desired theme and/or a game pattern with a desired level of complexity or difficulty or having a particular focus. For example, the game apparatus, by means of the letter array, may be adapted to build spelling skills using a particular letter or letters, such as by skewing the letter array to have a particular distribution. 1n the commercial embodiment of the tame, the letter array may correspond to the incidence of letters in words consistent with the vocabulary of a reader of a certain skill level, and is as follows:

“Free E” set (2 total):

-   -   2 each of F

Vowel set (20 total):

-   -   5 each of A, O     -   4 each of E, I     -   2 each of U

Consonant set (61 total):

-   -   8 each of S     -   7 each of T     -   6 each of L, R     -   4 each of M, N     -   3 each of B, C, D, P     -   2 each of G, H, W, Y     -   1 each of F, J, K, V, X, Z

Referring to FIG. 2, the example game piece 14 is shown to include, in addition to letter indicia 26 (representing a capital letter “A”), secondary distinguishable indicia 40, in the form of a colored stripe across the top portion of the card, which may identify the game piece as being from the vowel set 32. Indeed, as shown in FIG. 1, all of the game pieces 14 include secondary distinguishable indicia Lit also referred to as “set indicia” 40, in the form of correspondingly colored stripes, to differentiate the game pieces into the aforementioned sets. Such indicia may be useful, for example to differentiate a game piece 14 bearing the letter “E” as being from vowel set 32 or free set 36.

Set indicia 40 may be in any suitable form, for example as a background color, pattern, or image, or text color, and so forth, instead of or in addition to a colored stripe, and may be any manner of indicia appropriate to the physical form of the game pieces.

Although not shown the second side 24 of the game pieces in the commercial embodiment includes a combination of product branding indicia and set indicia, such that game pieces of a particular set are indistinguishable from each other, but are distinguishable from the game pieces of the other sets. In example methods of playing a word forming game with the game pieces, a preliminary step is random distribution to each player of a predetermined number of game pieces from each set, which may be facilitated by second side indicia that only indicates to which set a game piece belongs.

However, in other embodiments, second sides 24 may be left blank, or may include selected indicia. For example, second side 24 of each game piece may include only generic indicia, common to all game pieces, such as to make all game pieces indistinguishable from the second side. Another example is that the second side 24 of each game piece may include letter indicia that is the same as, or different from, the letter indicia on the first side, so that either side may be used in play; such a variant may provide game play variations and/or additional levels of complexity during play, and so forth.

Referring again to FIG. 1, game playing apparatus is shown to include a score card 1 As shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, the illustrative score card 16 is formatted with printed indicia that may facilitate recording words formed during a game, and scoring of words, and as such is shown to include a number of blank fields that may be filled in by a player of the game during play. More particularly, the illustrative score card 16 is adapted specifically for use in a game that is played in two turns or rounds, with each player attempting to form words of up to six letters in length, and with each player recording the words formed by the other. As such, in addition to blank fields 42 and 44 for the recording player's name and the word-forming player's name, the score card includes recording portions (indicated generally at 52, 54) for each of the two rounds, as well as scoring portions (indicated generally at 56, 58) for the words formed, and blanks 60, 62 for round totals and a blank 64 for a grand total.

Optionally, the score card may be an additional means in which the game apparatus may be adapted to incorporate aspects of a particular theme, backstory, or context. For example, various terms may be ascribed to different scores that may be achieved, and such terms may be incorporated into the score card. One example set of terms may correspond to figure skating theme, wherein one- and two-letter words may count as a “single jump” worth a certain amount of points; other terms may corresponding to higher numbers of points awarded for longer words, such as “double jump,” “triple jump,” “triple lutz,” “double Salchow jump,” and so forth. A golf theme may use a set of terms that similarly associate the difficulty of spelling longer words with the difficulty of achievements in a game of golf, such as “double bogey,” “bogey,” “par,” “birdie,” and “eagle” or “hole-in-one.”

Whether or not a theme is reflected in a score card, other score card formats may be suitable for other methods of game play, as will become evident upon consideration of the game play methods discussed below.

In general, methods of game play suitable for use with the concepts and components discussed herein may involve each player attempting to form as many words as possible from a subset of letters selected from a letter array. As such, some methods may include use of the game as an instructional aid for teaching developing readers spelling and/or vocabulary skills. Moreover, methods that include assigning and/or tabulating scores for words formed by players during the game may assist instruction of mathematical skills. Further, aspects of the game may be played fit sequence, such as with one player forming words and another recording the words formed, which may assist in the instruction of ethical and/or cooperative social skills. In addition, game methods may call for the players agreeing to certain types of words that are eligible to be assigned a score, for example proper nouns, slang words, names, contractions, and so forth, which may foster communication and decision-making skills.

A set of rules consistent with one or more of the game play methods discussed herein may accompany the game apparatus as a printed document, may be encoded in software used by a processor to provide a user interface to a computerized version of the game, and so forth.

An illustrative pattern of game play according to an example set of rules, and using the game components of the commercial embodiment, is described in detail in the following paragraphs. The illustrative pattern provides examples of various game play methods.

In the illustrative game play pattern, a game is played in two turns, or rounds, by two players. At the beginning of the game, each player is provided with a score card 16. In the first turn, each player randomly selects three consonants and two vowels from the letter array; that is, each player selects three game pieces 14 from the consonant set 32 and two game pieces 14 from the vowel set 34. Randomized selection nay be accomplished by any suitable means, such as by shuffling all of the game pieces and turning them with the first side 22 hidden from view. The letters selected by each player are then associated with the player, such as by moving and/or placing the selected game pieces near each player, such as on a playing surface; in this manner the selected letters may be effectively removed from the letter array for future, selection. The method continues with each player selecting one letter E from the free set. The remaining, unselected letters are set aside.

Game play then proceeds with each player forming words with his or her six selected letters, such as by arranging the game pieces to spell words of varying lengths. The physical form of the game pieces may facilitate the word-forming step; for example, a player may easily move game pieces around on a playing surface to rearrange the letters, such as to to assist recognition of words that may be formed. The word-forming step may be performed in sequence, with one player forming words while the other records them, for example by the wore forming player calling out or otherwise indicating a word that is formed. Optionally, the word-forming step may be performed by both players simultaneously, but with each player recording the words formed by the other. The players may agree among themselves the manner in which the word-forming step is performed.

Words may be recorded in the appropriate region of the recording portion 52 of the score card 16, such as according to the number of letters in the word. Specifically, one- and two-letter words are recorded in the first row (which is shown, in FIG. 2, to represent the appropriate area by the numbers 1 and 2), three-letter words (indicated by a number 3) in the second row, and so forth.

During the word-forming step, players may determine whether one or more words formed “count,” or are eligible, scoring words, by mutual agreement. Optionally, this determination may occur during the scoring step, explained below, or players may agree in advance that one or more certain types of words will be eligible to be assigned a score (such as proper nouns, slang words, names, contractions, and so forth), and/or whether different forms of a word spelled the same letters (“ITS” and “IT'S,” for example, or “RESUME” and “RESUME”) will each be eligible for scoring, and so forth. A set of rules for game play may specifically instruct that players should determine word eligibility in a certain manner. Optionally, some or all eligible word types may be specified in a set of rules for game play.

The word-forming step in the illustrative game play pattern may last as long as the players agree, such as to allow each player ample opportunity to spell as many words as possible from his or her six letters. In variations, of course, timing means may be employed (and included among the game components), such as to all players to impose a time limit or to measure the passage of time during a word-forming step. At the conclusion of the first round, the players may discard or otherwise set aside the letters used during the round, and begin the second round by selecting a new set of letters in particular, by randomly drawing three consonants and two vowels from the remaining game pieces in the consonant and vowel sets, as well as “E” game piece from the free set. In the illustrative play pattern, because in each round each player uses an “E” game piece from the free set, the same “E” game piece from the first round may be re-used. A second round of forming words then occurs, similar to the first.

The illustrative play pattern concludes with assigning a score to each recorded word and tallying the scores. In accordance with one example use of the game to instruct ethical and/or cooperative behavior, each player may be responsible for correctly assigning and tallying the other player's score. The score card 16 in the illustrative embodiment provides the score to be assigned to each word as a function of the length of the word (i.e. one and two-letter words are each assigned a score of “2”, three-letter words are each scored “3”, and so forth). Although not required to all methods, the illustrative play pattern includes awarding a bonus for each word that includes all six of a player's letters; this is reflected on the score card as a score of “16” for each six-letter word, with 6 points corresponding to the number of letters of the word, and 10 points representing a bonus.

As such, one example method of game play embodied in the illustrative game play pattern described above may be though of as including the following steps:

(a) randomly selecting, by each player, a subset of letters from a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array,

(b) removing a letter, once selected, from the plurality of letters,

(c) selecting, by each player, at least one predetermined letter,

(d) associating the letters selected by each player with the respective player,

(e) forming, by each player, words from the player's selected letters,

(f) recording the words formed, and

(g) assigning a score to each word formed.

In the illustrative game play pattern, of coarse, step (a) includes drawing three consonants and two vowels from the set of garage pieces, but may in alternate methods include selecting any predetermined number of consonants and vowels, or other letters from a letter array which may be distributed among different letter sets (e.g., consonant, vowel, letter combination, and so forth) as explained above. Likewise, step (c) in the illustrative game pattern includes selecting one “free E,” but may in other methods include selecting any predetermined number of one or more predetermined letters from the letter array e.g., from one or more “free” sets).

Additionally, in the illustrative game play pattern, step (f) the recording step, is performed by a player other than the player forming the words, which may assist in instructing ethical behavior during competition. Of course, alternate methods may involve each player recording his or her own words, or the recording may be done by a non-playing person, such as a parent or instructor, and so forth. Optionally, a game may be played by player teams of two or more players per team, with one team member recording the words formed by the other team member, such as to instruct cooperative effort in a team exercise, and so forth.

In the illustrative game play pattern, step (g), the scoring step, involves assigning a predetermined score to each word that is based on, and increases with, the number of letters used to form the word,and includes assigning a bonus score to each word that uses all of a player's letters. As with step (f), the scoring step may be performed by a player other than the player who formed the words, the player who formed the words, a non-playing person, and so forth. Alternate embodiments may employ a different scoring and/or bonus system, such as to encourage players to form words of certain length and/or including certain letters, for example by assigning a bonus if a player forms a certain number of words that each include a predetermined letter or letters; still other methods may relate a scoring system to a timing system, for example to encourage players to form words as quickly as possible, and so forth.

Optionally, other methods of game play consistent with the present disclosure may include performance of the steps above other than in the order listed, repeating one or more steps (such as a game played in turns or rounds, such as that may include repeated sequences of the same or different steps), omitting one or more steps, and/or including one or more additional steps.

For example, another method step embodied in the illustrative game play pattern includes determining one or more types of words that are eligible for being assigned a score, if formed by a player, by mutual agreement of the players. This step may be performed in advance of game play, or during game play, such as during the scoring and/or recording steps. One variation of this step may involve determining, such as on a word-by-word basis, whether one or more words formed by a player are eligible for being assigned a score. Such variations may be specifically instructed in a set of rules that accompany the game, such as to encourage players to cooperate during competition, to foster creativity in word-forming by allowing players freedom to form as many different types of words as they can think of, and so forth.

Yet another method step embodied in the illustrative game play pattern includes totaling the score achieved by each player. This step may be performed at the end of a round or turn, such as at the conclusion of a word-forming step, or may be performed at the end of multiple rounds (such as at the end of the game). Of course, this step may optionally include declaring the player with the highest point total as the winner, and so forth.

The method steps described above, as well as other aspects of game play, may be partially or wholly codified in a set of rules that might accompany a set of game components, such as in the form of a pre-printed document that players may refer to in advance of, or during, game play. In other embodiments, such as a computer or electronic version of the game, software instructions executed by a processing unit of a computer system may incorporate and/or govern game play according to a set of rules.

Various examples of the game and interactive game play methods may be implemented using electronic circuitry configured to perform one or more functions, such as by using one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Optionally, such examples may be implemented using a programmable computing device executing firmware or software instructions, or by some combination of purpose-specific electronic circuitry and firmware or software instructions executing on a programmable computing device.

FIG. 4 shows one illustrative example of a computer 100 that may be adapted to implement various embodiments of the interactive game. Computer 100 may be incorporated within a variety of consumer electronic devices, such as personal media players, cellular phones, smart phones, personal data assistants, global positioning system devices, and the like.

Computer 100 is shown to include a computing unlit 102, which in turn includes a processing unit 104 and a system memory 106. Processing unit 104 may be any type of processing device for executing software instructions, such as a microprocessor device. System memory 106 may include both a read-only memory (ROM) 110 and a random access memory (RAM) 112. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art both read-only memory (ROM) 110 and random access memory (RAM) 112 may store software instructions to be executed by processing unit 104.

Processing unit 104 and system memory 106 may be connected, either directly or indirectly, through a bus 120 or alternate communication structure to one or more peripheral devices, generally designated at 122. For example, processing unit 104 or system memory 106 may be directly or indirectly connected to additional memory storage, such as a hard disk drive 130, a removable optical disk drive 132, a removable magnetic disk drive 134, and a flash memory card 136. Processing unit 104 and system memory 106 also may be directly or indirectly connected to one or more input devices 140 and one or more output devices 142. Input devices 140 may include, for example, a keyboard, touch screen, a remote control pad, a pointing device (such as a mouse, touchpad, stylus, trackball, or joystick), a scanner, a camera or a microphone. Output devices 142 may include, for example, a monitor display, an integrated display, television, printer, stereo, or speakers.

Still further, computing unit 102 may be directly or indirectly connected to one or more network interfaces 15L for communicating with a network (not shown). This type of network interface 150, also sometimes referred to as a network adapter or network interface card (NIC), translates data and control signals from computing unit 102 into network messages according to one or more known communication protocols, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the Internet Protocol (IP), and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Network interface 150 may employ any suitable connection agent for connecting to a network, including, for example, a wireless transceiver, a power line adapter, a modem, an Ethernet connection, and so forth.

In addition to the input, output and storage peripheral devices specifically listed above, the computing device may be connected to a variety of other peripheral devices, including some that may perform input, output and storage functions, or some combination thereof. For example, the computer 100 may be connected to or incorporated within a digital music player, such as an iPod® brand digital music player or iPhone® brand smartphone available from Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. As known in the art, this type of digital music player can serve as both an output device for a computer (e.g., outputting music from a sound file or pictures from an image file) and a storage device.

Of course, still other peripheral devices may be included with or otherwise connected to a computer 100 of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. In some cases, a peripheral device may be permanently or semi-permanently connected to computing unit 102. For example, with many computers, computing unit 102, hard disk drive 130, removable optical disk drive 132 and a display are semi-permanently encased in a single housing.

Still other peripheral devices may be removably connected to computer 100, however. Computer 100 may include, for example, one or more communication ports through which a peripheral device can be connected to computing unit 102 (either directly or indirectly through bus 120). These communication ports may thus include a parallel bus port or a serial bus port, such as a serial bus port using the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard or the IEEE 1394 High Speed Serial Bus standard (e.g., a Firewire port). Alternately or additionally, computer 100 may include a wireless data “port,” such as a Bluetooth® interface, a Wi-Fi interface, an infrared data port, or the like.

It should be appreciated that a computing device employed according to various examples of the word-forming game may include more, fewer, or efferent components than computer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. Some implementations of the interactive game, for example, may employ one or more computing devices that are intended to have a very specific functionality, such as a digital music player or server computer. These computing devices may thus omit peripherals such as network interface 150, removable optical disk drive 132, printers, scanners, external hard drives, etc. Some implementations of the interactive game may alternately or additionally employ computing devices that are intended to capable of a wide variety of functions, such as a desktop or laptop personal computer. These computing devices may have combination of peripheral devices or additional components as desired.

For the sake of example, a second illustrative embodiment of a game apparatus in accordance with the present disclosure is in the form of a computer or computer system, such as may be incorporated into a personal digital device such as a smartphone hat includes a touchscreen display, which may function both as an output device and as an input device of the device. In such a device, as known in the art, a software program that includes various software instructions adapted to perform various functions, such as to allow a user to play a word-forming game, may be installed as an application or “app.” FIG. 5 is a partially schematic view illustrating an example user interface, indicated generally at 200, that may be presented on a smartphone touchscreen display. The user interface illustrated in FIG. 5 may represent one of several different arrangements of graphical indicia sequentially displayed on the touchscreen display during user interaction with the app, such as when playing a word-forming game. As noted above, in such an embodiment, various aspects of the software instructions of the app, in conjunction with components of the computer or computer system incorporated in the deuce, may provide the various means of the game.

For example, the user interface 200 in FIG. 5 may represent a game in progress that is played substantially as described in the commercial embodiment above. As such, user interface shows a representation of six game pieces 202 at the bottom of the display, each of which bears letter indicia 204 and set indicia 206 in the form of a stripe of color that indicates that the game piece belongs to a set, such as a consonant set, a vowel set, a “free E” set, and so forth. Depending on the software functionality, the game pieces 202 may have been randomly selected for, or distributed to, the user, such as in a prior phase of the game, or selected the user from a representation of a letter array shown as a set of face-down cards, and so forth.

The user interface 200 in FIG. 5 may represent a word-forming step, in which a user may form a number of words from the game pieces 202, such as by moving individual game pieces (or the displayed representations thereof) to a word-forming region 208, which may be graphically displayed to accept up to six letters. As known in the art of software for use with touchscreen displays, the game piece representations may be moved in the user interface by a player touching the touching game piece graphic and “dragging” it to a different area of the displayed interface such as the word-forming region 201. Once a word is formed, the user may touch a “submit” or “enter” button or icon 210, indicating that a word has been formed. The formed word may then appear on a list of words 212. Depending on the app software, the submitted ward may be checked against a database of eligible words prior to being displayed. Optionally, user interface 200 may represent a game in progress between two players, with the other player being notified in real-time or otherwise that the word-forming player has formed a word, and allowing the other player to approve or deny the word, in an interaction that may replicate user agreement to the words, or types of words, that are eligible for scoring.

If eligible, a score may be assigned to each word submitted, as may be indicated on the user interface in a list of scores 214 that corresponds to the list of words. Similar to the game play methods discussed above, the scoring step may include a bonus if a word uses all of a player's letters; this may be indicated by a special animation on the display, represented at 216. The user interface 200 may further include a running total of the points scored by the word forming player, such as shown at 218. The score may reflect any bonuses; for example, the score 29 may correspond to the total of the scores for the four words shown (e.g. 4 points for MEAL, 5 points for FLAME, 6 points for FEMALE, plus a bonus of 10 points for using all six letters, and 4 points for LEAF).

The user interface may, include additional graphical representations, such as a number of buttons/icons (such as indicated at 220) for various game options or functions, such as returning to a main menu, ending a turn, ending the game, rearranging the game piece representations 202, and so forth, or other/different graphical representations, as consistent with the game playing methods described herein. Of course, the user interface may also differ in form at depending on the nature of the device implementing a computer adapted to provide a word-forming game, the nature of the game itself, and so forth.

Although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing operational principles and illustrated examples and embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. Game playing apparatus for two or more players, comprising: a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array; means operable by each player for randomly selecting, from the letter array, a subset of letters that includes: at least a predetermined number of consonants; at least a predetermined number of vowels; and a minimum number of at least one predetermined letter; means for associating each subset of selected letters with the respective player; means for each player to form, into words, individual letters from the player's associated subset of selected letters; and means for recording words formed by each player.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for assigning a predetermined score to each recorded word.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means farther includes means for recording a total of the assigned scores.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means is a printed scorecard and a set of rules.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising timing means.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the letter array is a plurality of individual game pieces each bearing letter indicia thereon.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6: wherein the individual game nieces have two sides, one side of which bears the letter indicia thereon; wherein the plurality of individual two-sided game pieces includes a number of game pieces on which the letter indicia is a consonant, a number of game pieces on which the letter indicia is a vowel, and a number of game pieces on which the letter indicia is the at least one predetermined letter; and wherein the plurality of individual two-sided game pieces functions as the means operable for randomly selecting, means for associating, and means for forming.
 8. A method of playing, a word forming game, the method comprising: randomly selecting, by each player, a subset of letters from a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array; removing a letter, once selected, from the plurality of letters; selecting, by each player, at least one predetermined letter; associating the letters selected by each player with the respective player; forming, by each player, words from the player's selected letters; recording the words formed; and assigning a score to each word formed.
 9. The method of claim 8: wherein randomly selecting a subset of letters includes randomly selecting at least a predetermined number of consonants and randomly selecting at least a predetermined number of vowels; and wherein selecting at least one predetermined letter consists of selecting a predetermined number of one predetermined letter.
 10. The method of claim 9: wherein the predetermined number of consonants is three; wherein the predetermined number of vowels is two; wherein the predetermines letter is the letter E; and wherein the predetermined number of the predetermined letter is one.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein assigning a score to each word formed includes one or more of: assigning a predetermined score that increases with the number of letters used to form the word; and assigning a bonus score to each word that uses all six of a player's selected letters.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein a turn includes each player performing the steps of the method in the order listed, and wherein a game includes at least two turns.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising one or more of: totaling the score achieved by each player in a turn, at the end of the turn, and totaling the score achieved by each player during the game.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein recording the words formed is performed by player other than the player forming the words.
 15. The method of claim 8, wherein the score assigned to each word is a predetermined score based on the number of letters used to form the word.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined score assigned to each word increases with the number of letters used to form the word.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein assigning a score to each word formed includes assigning bonus score to each word that uses of a player's selected letters.
 18. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining one or more types of words that are eligible for being assigned a score, if formed by a player, by mutual agreement of the players.
 19. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether one or more words formed by a player are eligible for being assigned a score, by mutual agreement of the players.
 20. A method of playing a word Forming game in two or more turns, the method comprising: a first turn that farther comprises, for each player: randomly selecting three consonants and two vowels from a plurality of letters arranged as a letter array; removing the selected letters from the plurality of letters; selecting one letter E; forming words from the six selected letters; and recording the words formed; a second turn that further comprises, for each player: randomly selecting three consonants and two vowels from the remaining plurality of letters; removing the selected letters from the plurality of letters; selecting one letter E; forming words from the six selected letters; and recording the words formed; and totaling a score for each player based on a predetermined score assigned to each word formed by the player during the game that is based on, and increases with, the number of letters used to form the word. 